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Old July 7, 2016   #1
SpookyShoe
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Default Tomatoes almost done for in zone 9 Texas Gulf Coast

It happens every year at this time. No matter how much I try to fight it, fungus always wins, helped along by heat, tiny worms, nematodes, and sometimes stink bugs. I shall have to live vicariously through the posts of others who will harvest tomatoes for the rest of the season. This is what my leaves look like:

20160705_083958-1.jpg
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Old July 7, 2016   #2
b54red
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Sorry to hear of your woes but it is a common thing along the Gulf Coastal region with our high heat, high humidity,plentiful foliage diseases, plentiful pests and abundant soil diseases along with nematodes. I have quite a few that look worse than that after a bad two weeks of spider mite devastation but I'm not giving up yet. Of course there are a few that I pulled yesterday since there was really nothing left of them that looked viable. I sprayed with the bleach spray this morning and will probably treat for spider mites and stinkbugs again next week since we had a heavy thunderstorm that removed most of my pesticide, and DE mix that works pretty well on both. As to nematodes I graft all my plants onto root stock that is very resistant and rarely see them anymore. I will keep applying fungicides to ward off the onset of diseases and treat them with the bleach when they do show up along with keeping them fertilized and watered until there is no hope. I usually get at least half my plants to last through the summer despite the heat but this year has been a bugger with temps regularly topping 100 and near 100% humidity for the past 5 or 6 weeks. These conditions have brought on an early invasion of both stink bugs and spider mites along with plenty of foliage diseases so this might be the year most of them don't make it. However I do have some new plants that I set out just a week ago and they are looking good so maybe if I am vigilant I will have good fall tomatoes; but then again late blight might show up again this year and end it all.

Bill
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Old July 7, 2016   #3
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Did you at least get a few good fruits that were edible? I am not familiar with spraying with bleach and have never tried grafting.

Donna
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Old July 7, 2016   #4
whistech
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I pulled my plants about 2 weeks ago, but I started fall tomato seeds the next day.
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Old July 7, 2016   #5
MarianneW
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Zonies are done too. We feel your pain.
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Old July 7, 2016   #6
Keiththibodeaux
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SpookyShoe View Post
It happens every year at this time. No matter how much I try to fight it, fungus always wins, helped along by heat, tiny worms, nematodes, and sometimes stink bugs. I shall have to live vicariously through the posts of others who will harvest tomatoes for the rest of the season. This is what my leaves look like:

Attachment 63380
But July 4th is the target date to start seedlings for the fall tomato harvest.
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Old July 8, 2016   #7
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Originally Posted by Keiththibodeaux View Post
But July 4th is the target date to start seedlings for the fall tomato harvest.
What varieties do you try? Short season ones? When do you set them out in the garden?

Donna
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Old July 8, 2016   #8
b54red
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SpookyShoe View Post
Did you at least get a few good fruits that were edible? I am not familiar with spraying with bleach and have never tried grafting.

Donna
Here is a good thread discussing using bleach as a spray for diseases and molds. It is very helpful at times and if used properly and early enough can be a real garden saver for tomatoes as well as other crops.

http://tomatoville.com/showthread.ph...t=bleach+spray

Give it a read and then see what you think. I personally have been using it for years after stumbling upon it accidentally when removing mildew from my siding and eaves one summer.

Bill
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Old July 8, 2016   #9
My Foot Smells
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Old July 9, 2016   #10
Keiththibodeaux
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SpookyShoe View Post
What varieties do you try? Short season ones? When do you set them out in the garden?

Donna
I always grow fall tomatoes. Down here, I am in about the same climate as you, I have found that I can grow just about any variety in the fall. I tried some of the heat set varieties, but find they fall a bit short on taste. I'd say whatever your favorite variety is, give it a shot. Start the seeds now, and put them in the ground first week of August.
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Old July 11, 2016   #11
b54red
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Keiththibodeaux View Post
I always grow fall tomatoes. Down here, I am in about the same climate as you, I have found that I can grow just about any variety in the fall. I tried some of the heat set varieties, but find they fall a bit short on taste. I'd say whatever your favorite variety is, give it a shot. Start the seeds now, and put them in the ground first week of August.
I try to get all my fall tomatoes in by mid July if possible because it gives the plants more time before the cold weather to ripen fruit. I hat pulling plants covered with nice large green tomatoes every fall.

I agree don't go for the heat set or early hybrid varieties as they seem to do poorly in the fall. I find that any variety that will set tomatoes when it is hot will do good in early fall and cool set tomatoes seem to be a little late setting many times. I have had great luck with Limbaugh's Legacy, Pruden's Purple, Spudakee, Big Beef, Indian Stripe, and even Brandywine Cowlick's. Most of the varieties that I grow as main crop tomatoes do well in the fall with a few exceptions like the really late varieties.

It looks like most of my main crop tomatoes got really messed up by those spider mites a few weeks ago. Most are still alive but since I have new ones going now I may pull most of them just so I don't have to spend the time fighting the spider mites and diseases on the older plants.

Bill

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